Why Tweetmobs are the New Flashmobs: Taking a Leaf out of the Mirinda Experience

Standing out in a crowd is no longer the way to go in marketing. At least that what it looks like from the number of Flash Mobs popping up all over the place.  But there's a new “mob” in town. So move over Flashmobs because Tweetmobs are all the rage right now.  With a number of brands capitalizing on the reach and speed of Twitter, here is a look at the Mirinda experience with Tweetmobs topped with some lessons for marketers…

To begin with…What is a TweetMob?

A TweetMob is a unique innovation, the virtual face of a Flash Mob; it leverages the perks of the digital space while banking on the strengths and versatility of the medium effectively to communicate with our consumers on an idea, product, service or initiative.

Why Twitter?

Probably the most popular micro blog on the earth, Twitter has emerged as a platform for people to share, collaborate and explore things while building a community of followers and a tribe of influencers.  With a majority of the population being obsessed with “Tweets”, companies and brands are using Twitter to offer coupons, sales and promotions and making it work for them as a customer service mechanism.

The construct of a TweetMob versus a Flash Mob

Flash Mobs are characterized by a group of people coming together suddenly in a crowded place and performing a song and dance routine.  The idea being- be“in your face” and making people sit up and take notice.

However, most Flash Mobs were little more than just that a regular song and dance routine which is why the idea to use Twitter a platform for the likeminded and the rebellious to unleash crowd power probably emerged.

The Mirinda TweetMob Experience

The partnership between Red Digital and Mirinda, a bold social brand, led to the creation of the Mirinda TweetMob experience. #Pagalpanti and #Breathless, created by @MirindaIndia grabbed eyeballs among the  Twitteratis. Created for its new product launch of Mirinda Orange Masala and Mirinda Orange Mango, Red Digital, the social media agency for PepsiCo’s orange soft drink Mirinda launched the #Breathless on Valentine’s Day and #Pagalpanti on Feburary24th this year.

The month long activity was linked with Mirinda India’s Facebook presence as well. Twitteratis were informed about the contest through tweets which had links to the Mirinda India Facebook brand page. The inaugural Tweetmob saw 2,220 tweets in a span of 9 hours which led #Breathless trend nationally. #Pagalpanti went further and saw 3,700 tweets in nine hours making its reach five times more compared to the first Tweetmob.

How to Make a TweetMob Campaign Work For You

• Aligning a TweetMob campaign with a product launch like Mirinda India did is a smart move.  Considering the reach and speed that Twitter offers, it only helps leverage brand identity and garner the attention of millions of users.
• The idea of a TweetMob to engage with customers, particularly with a brand like Mirinda which has a consumer base that largely comprises of youth, is fun and youthful, thereby standing out in a blitzkrieg of product launches.  However, now that Mirinda India has taken the TweetMob route, simply imitating the idea will not work.  Brands must strive to be more creative and work with teaser campaigns, slogan contests and the like to evince interest.
• For those of you who want to keep your campaigns short and simple then Twitter is the place to be.  A platform for brands to engage with influencers, followers and rebels, a Twitter based campaign gives you that much more exposure eliciting responses from all types of people.
• If you want your campaign to really work, then offering an incentive for people to do something is important, especially when your target audience is youth.  Free giveaways or gifts for the most interesting tweets was something Mirinda could have used but didn’t.
• Don’t offer prizes for the maximum number of retweets, it’s just too jaded and fails to impress.
• While making your reputation and building your brand identity for Twitter might take just a few minutes, breaking it could be just as quick too.  While banking on the speed of Twitter, be optimistic and realistic; don’t lose sight of the practicalities of the marketplace in a hurry to get out there.
• There is a thin line between being subtle and overt which many brands on Twitter tend to cross when they spam timelines.  This is a definite “no-no” if you want your campaign to work and not blow up in your face.
• In the absence of content that is riveting and different, consumer engagement will prove to be difficult.
• The digital space allows approaches that have never been done before without the shackles of convention and restrictions of traditional media.  Talking about real issues and real people encourages greater participation and helps the brand to stand out in the brand blitzkrieg in the market and on the web.
• Social media campaigns that are “liquid and linked” are likely to be more popular simply because they can be “consumed” with ease.